I Am Not a Robot
by sheepgoMOO
Summary: What's the extent you would go to to help a friend? Mainly Leah's POV, Bree comes into it later. Rated T for safety. Sorry, I'm really bad at summaries!
1. Running

Running.

Paws slap the ground.

_Slap, slap._

Fur on grass.

_Thud, thud. _

Keep on running.

Running helps.

Clear your mind.

_Thud, thud._

Forget.

_Thud, thud._

Forget.

_Thud, thud._

Everything.

_Leah?_

Sam's voice booms through my head, breaking the trance.

_What?_

_You know what. It's past midnight. Get your butt back to La Push in five._

_Why should I?_

_Leah. Come back._

The rumble of the Alpha's voice rings in my ears and makes my knees buckle with the pure strength and power of it.

_You know, Sam, there's this thing; you might have heard of it, its called freewill?_

_Leah…_ He sounds amused, and has lost the whole Alpha crap. _You have two minutes._

_Or what? You'll tell my mommy? 'Hey, Mrs C, your daughter doesn't obey her Alpha. You don't know what an Alpha is? Oh yeah, guess I didn't mention: all the kids in this town are vampire-fighting werewolves._'

He's chuckling now. I can see the thoughts flashing through his mind: my mom, Seth, me… then –

My breath catches in my throat and I can't breathe. The image in Sam's head is of me and him. I look young, innocent, happy, and Sam looks younger too. We're outside my house. It's dark, and I'm sitting on the garden wall.

I remember that evening like it was yesterday.

It was the night we first kissed.

_Ah, shit. I –_

I can feel Sam's guilt, his remorse.

_Just hurry up, Leah._

Everything fades as Sam phases back into a human.

You see, the problem with being a werewolf is that there are no secrets, no privacy. Well, I say _the _problem. More like one of the many, many problems. Nothing is safe; all your emotions, thoughts, memories, hopes, fears, secrets, dreams, they're all just laid out for everyone to see. Because Sam and me… we were an item. Emphasis on the past tense. We were, like, the school's golden couple, you know, most likely to marry and all that b.s. He was my first love, and I was young and naïve and stupid enough to believe we'd be together forever.

Then Emily came along.

She's my cousin, my mom's sister's daughter. And according to the whole of Washington State, the whole Goddamn sun shines out of her arse. She showed up six months ago to visit, and Sam – _my _Sam – only had to go and _Imprint_ on her.

Which basically, in a nutshell, means he is completely and irrevocably in love with her.

I'm back in La Push now, in the woods behind Old Quil's house, where the rest of the pack are waiting. I phase back into my human form, pull on a white vest and denim shorts that are tied around my ankle, and walk over to where the rest of the pack – _my_ pack – are standing in human form in a loose circle around Sam.

"Finally," Seth groans. "Took you long enough."

I glare at my little brother. "Shut it, turd face," I snap, and take my place between Jared and Embry.

"So, as I was saying," Sam says. "We need all the rest we can get tonight for the… _events_ of tomorrow."

"Sam – this is ridiculous!" I blurt, before I can stop myself. Eurgh. Big mouth, much. "We're helping _vampires_! I mean, does sworn arch enemy not mean anything to you people?" Shut up _now,_ Leah.

"Leah…" Sam sounds tired. "We're doing this to protect Bella. This has nothing to do with the Cullens."

"Bella!" I shriek. "What's she ever done for us? I mean, she's not even Quileute! Get your priorities straight people!" Jacob lunges towards me, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

"Leave it, Jake," Quil mutters. "Totally not worth it."

Sam ignores them. "This vampire has been tormenting us for nearly a year now." His voice is low and calm. "We are protecting Bella, but also our tribe and our people."

"Fail, Leah," Seth mutters.

"Your face is a fail," I retort.

"Your mom's a fail!"

"Seth, you freak. We have the same mom."

Paul is glaring at me. "In less than twelve hours time we are going to be fighting a whole army of bloodthirsty newborn vampires, and that is ALL you can think about? Grow up!" Jeez, Paul. Mood swings.

Jacob, Quil and Embry smirk. I stick my middle finger up at the them.

"Look, I think we all just need some rest." Sam looks old and weary. "Meet here at eight tomorrow morning."

Gradually the group disintegrates into the night back to their homes, until it's just me and Sam left.

"Leah, wait." Sam catchs hold of my hand as I go to leave. I turn my head, and get blown away by the beauty of his deep brown eyes, bearing into mine.

"Leah, I –" He stops, uncertain, and I see a thousand emotions flick through his face. He looks tortured, regretful. "I – I think… I still –"

"Sam, honey? You coming?" A sweet, clear voice breaks through the trees, tinkling like a stream down a mountain.

"Go on," I urge him, placing my hand on top of his. He looks down at our joined hands, and quickly pulls away. "I – I have to go," he murmurs, his eyes tortured, and once more he leaves me, running into the darkness.

And back to Emily.


	2. Leah Clearwater Doesn't Cry

"Leah?" _Shit._

"Hey, Mom."

"Where have you been?" Her voice sounds tired, fed-up. Of me. I don't blame her. Hell, I'm fed-up of me. She's curled up on the sofa in the sitting room, cradling a mug of coffee. The TV's on but her eyes are glassy and I can tell she's not really watching.

"Where've you been?"

_Um._

"Er… y'know. Pack stuff."

My mom's a Quileute elder, so she knows about all the wolf stuff, but that doesn't mean I'm comfortable talking to her about it.

"Yes, I know, but Seth was here fifteen minutes ago."

Eurgh. Saint Seth.

"Yeah, well. I'm not Seth." I make my way towards the stairs, stopping to give my mom a peck on the cheek. "Night, Mom."

"Hey, Leah?" Mom places her hand on my shoulder. "You OK?"

Huh. No.

"Yup, I'm fine." Mom looks unconvinced.

"You know, Leah, normal families talk to each other about stuff. You know. _Communicate._"

"Mom, since when have we ever been normal?"

Mom just laughs and shakes her head, and I make my way up to my room.

"Leaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Wakey wakey! Rise and shine!" Seth yanks back my curtains, flooding my room with the grey fog of another typical Washington day. It feels like I've been asleep for half an hour. Groggily, I reach for my alarm clock.

"Seven o'clock?" I sit up sharply and chuck the clock at a smirking Seth, who dodges neatly out the way. "Is this a joke?"

"Nope," Seth grins. "We've gotta be up bright and early, surprise the leeches. Anyway, I'd've thought you'd wanna be there early, considering how much you love the Cullens." He actually starts making kissing noises. "Oooh Edward," he says, in a ridiculous high pitched voice that I think is supposed to be an imitation of me but sounds more like Justin Bieber.

"Feeling a bit queer, are we, Seth?"

"I know you are, but what am I?" he cackles, and races out of my room.

I think someone forgot to tell him he's sixteen, not six.

I get up, jump in the shower, and get dressed in my usual outfit of vest top and denim shorts. I don't care about how I look anymore. Slowly, I make my way downstairs, trying not to think too much about what's happening today.

"Morning, Mom."

"Hi, Leah. Sleep well?"

"Nope," I tell her cheerfully, ramming a couple of slices of bread into the toaster.

"Oh, by the way," Mom says into the silence – if you can call it silence, what with Seth slurping away at his Cheerios like a demented pig – "You're stopping off at Sam's today, right?"

_Not if I can help it._

"Um, probably."

"Could you drop this round for me, then?" Mom drops something on the worktop next to me. A bridal catalogue. I try not to look too disgusted.

"It came through the door the other day. They've got the most adorable place cards…"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Sure." I tell her, cutting her off before she can get in full wedding flow.

This whole wedding is an utter joke. And I have to be a bridesmaid. Maid of honour, apparently, but I can't see anything honourable about standing in a church for hours wearing an awful, red, satin, frilly… _thing._ "It'll please Emily," Mom had said. "I know you've had your… differences" – _you're telling me _– "but you two are best friends."

Well, actually, we're not."

The thing is, people just don't understand. I've felt how Sam and Jared and Quil feel when they see _her_… it puts human love to shame. No one else matters anymore. And to see the man you love feel that way about someone else… it enough to kill you, it really is. Just to see that four whole years means absolutely nothing… it's hard. And then to see how happy they are with someone they've known five minutes… my heart has been broken so many times I really don't think it works anymore.

I finish gulping down my toast, and pick up the catalogue. "I'm off now, Mom…" My palms are sweating, and my voice is shaky. Pfft. Get a grip, Leah. They're only _vampires. _Mom surprises me by enveloping Seth and me in a massive hug that just about ruptures my lungs.

"Be careful," she whispers into our hair.

"We'd better get going," I say, hurriedly before I turn blue. Mom reluctantly lets go and I grab Seth's arm and drag him out the door.

"I can't believe I don't even get to _fight_," Seth moans, as we make our way to Sam's. "I just have to sit around all day and be bored. I mean, why me? Why not you, you're the-" he stops, suddenly.

"I'm the girl," I finish for him. "I'm the girl, so I'm not useful? For your information, I am still a wolf, and the fastest wolf we've got, actually. So shut it, OK?"

"Jeez, calm down," Seth mutters, and stalks on ahead. I carry on walking to Sam's house, thinking, my mid just wandering in a rare moment of psychic privacy. Thinking about Emily, actually. The lyrics of a song are spinning through my head: 'where did I go wrong, I lost a friend, somewhere along in the bitterness.' I've been asking myself the same question for the past six months. The thing is, I just don't get any answers.

"Leah!" Emily's face lights up as she opens her front door. She actually looks pleased to see me. Cue a tug of guilt in my stomach.

"Hey. Oh, um, this is from Mom." I hand her the catalogue. "Nice place settings. Apparently."

Emily grins, and ushers me into the small house. "Sam, Leah's here!" she calls. "We're just waiting on Jared and then I think you can all get going." I pretend to care and nod.

We've reached the kitchen now, and the pack are huddled round a large oak table in the middle of the room, stuffing their faces.

"Muffin, Leah?" Emily holds a pretty blue plate out to me, piled high with golden brown blueberry muffins.

"Oh, thanks." My stomach rumbles, embarrassingly loud.

"Help yourself."

I take four.

The thing about being a wolf is that I am _always_ hungry. Always. The rest of the girls at my school skip breakfast and just have like, a carrot stick and half a tomato for lunch. Whereas I stuff my guts with anything I can find and don't put on any weight. Which is one of the reasons I'm so popular. Not.

"Hey, Leah, make sure you don't get eaten by a vamp today. I'd just miss you too much."

_Eurgh._ Paul. Talk about a waste of human life.

"Paul, take your oversized head and do us all a favour by sticking it up your butt. Thank you. Goodnight."

"Oh, you are just too damn funny, Leah," Paul snaps.

"I try."

It's at that moment that Jared walks in, looking a little dazed and misty eyed, which means he's finally been able to drag himself away from Kim. It also means that he'll have, um, _a lot on his mind. _Ew.

"Alright then, people!" Sam stands up and claps his hands together. He's wearing just a pair of jeans and no shirt. All the guys are, but my heart stops momentarily when I see _him_. That dark hair, soft and think; those eyes, so intense, the colour of melted chocolate' the round, hard muscles of his chest-"

_Jeez, Leah. Get a grip._

"You all know what to do," Sam is still talking. "But remember – work as a team, stick together, and don't do anything stupid."

"Cough, Leah, cough," Paul mutters. I ignore him.

The pack stands up, and make their way to the back door.

"Good luck," Emily whispers in Sam's ear. He gently strokes the length of her hair and down her back, and leaves his arm wrapped around her waist. He leans in towards her and kisses each of her scars, then her lips, and then he squeezes her hand and leaves.

And all I can do is stand and watch, and try with all of my being not to break down right there and weep until there's nothing left inside of me.

But instead I plaster a grin on my face and thank Emily for the muffins, and head after the boys to be the odd one out yet again.

Because Leah Clearwater doesn't cry.


	3. Instincts

_**I know I haven't updated in ages, sorry! School and life and other such inconveniences have kind of just got on top of me. However here is a quick extract to keep you going while I work on the rest of the story. Please keep reading and reviewing :] **_

Run.

It's an instinct, something I can't control. My brain says stay, but my legs just take control. My brain doesn't even come into it. It's something I understand, it's the only thing I know now. I accept it; it's who I am.

So when everything slowly slips out of control, I run.

"Bree!"

"Don't let her get away!"

"Run after her!"

They won't catch me, those strange vampires with their eyes of gold and compassion. I'm younger, stronger, full of fresh human blood and the terrible burn in my throat that constantly drives me on. They allowed me to surrender, yet I cannot stay. My legs won't let me.

I concentrate on running. One foot in front of the other. Right left right left right left. My feet make no noise on the forest floor. In fact, no one would know I even existed. I dart up a tree, zigzag off the path. No one should be able to find me. Not even –

Ew.

My nose picks up a smell, a rank smell, wet dog. But no dog could stink that bad, surely?

Focus, Bree, focus.

But seriously. Ew.

Then I hear it.

A growl, low and menacing. But it doesn't come from an animal, it comes from a human standing in front of me. A girl, slightly older than me, with short, choppy black hair, russet coloured skin and deep brown eyes that bear right through me. She stands, feet apart, fists clenched, eyes unwavering. She is not a normal human, I can tell that much. The wind howls past me, and I wait for the scent to hit me, for the sweet torturous burn to overpower me. But instead there's nothing.

"Come any closer and you'll regret it," she snarls at me. I cock my head slightly, inhale her scent.

Ew. So that's where it was coming from.

"I'm warning you." Her voice is clear, strong, but I can feel the weakness and fear in it. It's strangely familiar. Then our eyes meet and I know why.

"Hey, Leah."


	4. Interview With A Leech

_**You lucky things, you get two chapters today ;) this is all the introduction-y bits out the way now, so the story can start properly now, and should improve quite a lot! Thank you for reading :) **_

"Who the hell are you?" I mean seriously, how many vampires am I buddies with?

"You don't remember me?" the leech asks, staring into my eyes, a slight frown on her face.

Oh shit.

"Bree Tanner? Seriously?"

"Uh-huh." _Whoa._

Julia Tanner was my mom's best friend in high school, Bree is her only child. I was forced to attend dance summer school in the city with her when I was younger and not as stubborn. What the hell am I supposed to say to her?

"So, uh, this is the awkward bit; I kind of have to kill you now."

"Well I have two separate very large clans of vampires at least triple my age and experience looking to kill me, I haven't really got time to be dealing with Buffy the werewolf."

Her face is really serious and I don't know whether she's taking the piss or not.

"The Cullens won't kill you," I assure her. "They're allergic to anything that's not rainbows and unicorns and fluffy white clouds. As for the mafia crew, I don't know, they looked pretty hungry."

I turn around and head back down the trail towards home. The leech obviously isn't going to try anything; even if she does I could beat her in a second. Suck on that bitch.

Hold up a second. She's following me. Are you serious? She's actually following me. "Hate to burst your little bubble, but you come much further and you're gonna get your ass slightly kicked."

"I doubt that." She sounds chirpy. "If you were gonna kill me, I'd be dead already."

"Tanner, why are you following me?"

"In case you hadn't realised, I can't exactly go home in my current state, in fact if I even so much as venture out of these woods I would be hunted down and brutally killed by various parties, so I am therefore assuming a favour can be repaid and I can stay with an family friends until I get my self sorted out."

I turn around to face her. "Are you out of your freakin' mind?"

"Glad you like the idea," she smiles sweetly.

"You're a vampire! A leech, a bloodsucker! You really cannot be serious! I can't let you stay anywhere near my family, Tanner, I'm sorry." _Not really._

"Glad you like the idea," she smiles, and then runs ahead into the horizon.


End file.
